Anna Louise Inn supporters to rally at Hamilton County Courthouse

Dozens of protesters attended a rally in support of the Anna Louis Inn in front of the Western & Southern headquarters downtown.

Dave Marlo

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CINCINNATI - Supporters of the Anna Louise Inn will rally at the Hamilton County Courthouse Wednesday as a local company's efforts to purchase the property heads back to court.

The rally is the latest effort of supporters who want the Anna Louise Inn to stay in operation and not be turned into a hotel. The Lytle Park building provides safe and affordable housing for women so they can live independently and within their means.

Western & Southern wants to purchase the building, restore it and convert it into a new hotel. Their case to purchase the inn went back to court Wednesday at 10 a.m. under Judge Norbert Nadel.

In the past, Western & Southern reportedly offered Cincinnati Union Bethel either $3 million to purchase the property or the greater of two independent appraisals.

The owner of the Anna Louise Inn, Cincinnati Union Bethel has rejected all offers in the past, stating it doesn't want to move the facility, which has operated at the site since it opened on Memorial Day 1909.

About 200 protesters rallied at the Western & Southern headquarters downtown in March. Similar protest have occurred at the courthouse in the past, including one in April 2012.

The facility was founded when the brother of former President William Howard Taft, attorney Charles P. Taft, donated the site and helped provide funding to erect a five-story building to accommodate 120 women in single rooms. The inn was named after Taft's daughter, Anna Louise Taft Semple.

The rally will be held at the courthouse located at 1000 Main St. at noon.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.